09 Between Light and Darkness

Around 7 p.m., Wen Xueyan walked out of the office building, the summer heat still lingering.

The subway was packed with people leaving get off work. Wen Xueyan gripped the handrail and looked out at the darkness rushing past the window.

The Pearl Mansion was even more upscale than she had imagined.

According to the address sent by Ning Zhiyi, Wen Xueyan stood downstairs in that building and indeed saw Song Tiancheng's car.

She picked up her phone to take a picture, but the screen displayed a message saying that there was not enough storage space.

Because she didn't have much savings, she couldn't bear to buy herself a new phone.

She had to delete some photos first: these fragments of memory were deleted one by one to make way for the evidence of reality.

After taking the photos, she texted Song Tiancheng, saying she had made his favorite mushroom fried rice. The reply came quickly; Song Tiancheng said he was still in a meeting and would be home in half an hour.

Looking at the message, Wen Xueyan suddenly found it laughable. Was all he had left for her—lies and perfunctory responses?

Since it was said to be half an hour, Wen Xueyan decided to wait downstairs for a while. For a moment, she impulsively wanted to knock on the door, but she was worried that if things turned sour, her situation would become even more difficult.

Half an hour passed, and Song Tiancheng still hadn't appeared.

Wen Xueyan decided not to wait any longer and prepared to go home.

However, at that moment, the unit door opened.

Wen Xueyan quickly hid in the shadows.

In the dim light, she saw Song Tiancheng emerge, accompanied by a young girl. The girl was wearing a brightly colored dress.

She affectionately linked arms with Song Tiancheng.

The girl laughed heartily, her fingers casually tossing her long hair; every movement exuded youthful exuberance.

Wen Xueyan picked up her phone, and to avoid being discovered, she deliberately turned off the flash, and then took a series of photos.

In the shot, the girl suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed Song Tiancheng on the cheek.

The gesture was natural and intimate, clearly not the first time. Instead of pushing her away, Song Tiancheng reached out and ruffled her hair, his eyes full of doting affection.

What are they doing upstairs?

Wen Xueyan felt that during the more than ten months that Song Tiancheng had been indifferent to her, he had used all his enthusiasm on this woman.

She needs these photos as evidence; if Song Tiancheng is as heartless as Ning Zhiyi's ex-husband, then this evidence will be useful.

The two men never turned around and didn't notice her hiding in the shadows.

Although she had long suspected Song Tiancheng's infidelity, witnessing it firsthand still left Wen Xueyan feeling as if a piece of her heart had been ripped out, yet she didn't completely collapse because she was prepared.

The car slowly drove away from the residential area, its taillights fading into the night. Wen Xueyan emerged from the shadows.

The starry sky is exceptionally bright on summer nights, with each star moving along its own orbit, unmoved by the joys and sorrows of the world.

Wen Xueyan looked up at the unchanging starry sky.

When she got home, Song Tiancheng still hadn't returned. Wen Xueyan backed up the photos to her email and then deleted the original files from her phone. She took a shower, changed into comfortable pajamas, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Wen Xueyan turned off the light and sat alone in the darkness. Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting long shadows on the floor.

Around ten o'clock, the sound of a key turning came from the doorway. Song Tiancheng walked in and then turned on the light.

"Working overtime until so late today?" Wen Xueyan asked calmly.

Song Tiancheng paused for a moment, then gave a tired smile: "I have a business dinner with a client that I can't cancel. Is there any food left? I don't feel quite full."

“I’ll make it for you now,” she said.

In the kitchen, Wen Xueyan was busy cooking, but her mind was calmly considering the situation. Divorce meant she might have to move out of the house and rent a place, which would make it even harder to afford her mother's imported medications.

Staying means at least having a place to live for the time being.

At that moment, she realized that some choices are never about right or wrong, but about weighing the gains and losses.

Song Tiancheng's voice was apologetic: "I'll definitely come back earlier next time."

On this sweltering summer night, Wen Xueyan chose silence and pretense.

At 11 p.m., the sound of running water came from the bathroom. For once, Song Tiancheng didn't bring his phone into the bathroom, but instead casually placed it on the coffee table in the living room.

Suddenly, the phone screen lit up, accompanied by a crisp ringtone. The name on the caller ID was "Su Yunzhu".

“You have a phone call, the other end is Su Yunzhu,” Wen Xueyan said, pointing towards the bathroom.

The sound of water stopped for a moment, and Song Tiancheng's voice came through the door: "Can you answer this for me? It's probably work-related."

Wen Xueyan pressed the answer button: "Hello."

A young woman's voice came from the other end, polite and courteous: "Hello, are you my sister-in-law? I'm Su Yunzhu, Director Song's subordinate. I've finished modifying the code that was requested to be changed in today's meeting. Please have Director Song check his email later, and I'll make any further changes if there are any issues."

"Okay, I'll pass it on to him."

"Thank you, sister-in-law." The other person's voice remained humble and polite.

After hanging up the phone, Wen Xueyan stood there, her tone professional and appropriate, completely unlike the third party she had imagined.

But her intuition told her that this Su Yunzhu was the girl she had met at Mingzhu Huafu that night.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and Song Tiancheng came out drying his hair. "Whose call was that?" he asked casually.

"Your subordinate, Su Yunzhu, said the code is finished and she wants you to check your email." Wen Xueyan handed the phone back to him.

Song Tiancheng's face showed no sign of anything amiss: "The project has been rushing to meet deadlines lately, thank you for your hard work. This person is that 'Little Sweetheart Zhu Xin,' the one you felt was inappropriate on WeChat last time... well, you can rest assured now, I told her I have a wife. She's this enthusiastic to everyone on WeChat." He naturally took the phone.

Wen Xueyan entered the kitchen, leaning against the counter, a series of doubts rising in her mind. Why was Su Yunzhu so polite and courteous? Why didn't she take the opportunity to provoke her? Was she a mistress not after all? Was she not a mistress herself?

But she quickly dismissed the idea. If Ning Zhiyi hadn't happened to provide her with the information tonight, and if what she had witnessed tonight hadn't been so real—that intimate kiss, that doting gaze—Wen Xueyan would have truly believed that the girl was just outgoing and passionate.

Song Tiancheng was still focused on checking emails, looking completely serious about his work.

"I'm going to sleep," Wen Xueyan said before entering the second bedroom. "You should get some rest too."

Song Tiancheng stood up and gently hugged her from behind: "You've worked so hard these past few days. Once this project is finished, and your probation period is over, let's go on a trip, just the two of us. I've been thinking back lately, and I'm so grateful for the meticulous care you've given me over the past three years. My promotion is also thanks to you." His voice was so gentle it was almost dreamlike.

Not only during his hospitalization for gastritis, but also in other scenes, Song Tiancheng felt even more strongly that Wen Xueyan was a good wife when he realized the possibility of separation.

"Okay," Wen Xueyan replied softly.

But she reminded herself that gentleness without limits is no different from weakness.

Song Tiancheng kissed the top of her head: "I'm going to reply to an email."

That night, Wen Xueyan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She felt that the phone call earlier seemed to have been deliberately designed to lull her into a false sense of security. Was it to lower her guard? She recalled the case of the mistress and husband conspiring to seize the wife's assets.

But she felt that this shouldn't be the case, because she didn't have much property for him to scheme against, and he wasn't short of money.

On the contrary, the Song family was much better off, not only because Song Tiancheng's income had been increasing in recent years. Wen Xueyan also remembered her mother-in-law, Qi Dongling, mentioning that her father-in-law, Song Guanhai, had made a lot of money running a company when he was young, and they also owned a villa in Beijing, which they would leave to their son and daughter-in-law after they passed away.

The next morning, Wen Xueyan arrived at the company fifteen minutes early, as usual.

The moment she pushed open the door, she sensed something was off. Her colleagues, who had been whispering in the office, suddenly fell silent as she passed by.

"What happened?" she asked Chen Jing, who was sitting next to her.

Chen Jing lowered his voice: "Manager Lin said this morning that the project failure last time was your fault. She also said... that your performance during your probation period was substandard, and she's already spoken with HR about firing you."

The dismissal of employees at this level does not require headquarters approval.

Wen Xueyan's heart sank, but she remained calm on the surface. She opened her email and, sure enough, saw an email from the human resources department. The termination notice was clearly visible, with the reason given as "work ability does not meet the job requirements."

Wen Xueyan calmly closed the email.

"Someone said you know General Manager Cheng. Why don't you try contacting him? Last year, Manager Lin fired a distant relative of General Manager Cheng, but that person definitely had work-related issues. General Manager Cheng is very busy and rarely gets involved in our HR," Chen Jing said. "But this time it's not your problem, is it? However, if she needs someone to take the blame, those on probation are the easiest targets..."

Over the years, Cheng Boyan has never had any scandals with any female subordinates, so Lin Shuyi is not worried that she will whisper in his ear.

Wen Xueyan forced herself to remain calm: "It's nothing."

Then she called President Cheng, but no one answered, and President Cheng did not call back.

The sky outside the window was gray and gloomy, just like her mood at that moment.

Finding a job these days isn't easy. She's already thirty years old, and has two years of experience as a receptionist. Wen Xueyan is racking her brains trying to figure out how to avoid being fired.

She hadn't figured out what to do next, so she first exported and backed up her recent work records, emails, and meeting minutes.

She desperately wanted to storm into Lin Shuyi's office and fight her, or simply send out a mass email of the previous conversation. Much later, Wen Xueyan realized she had been too straightforward and shouldn't have confronted Lin Shuyi so directly yesterday. She didn't want to take the blame, but she could "borrow a pot to cook in."

At this moment, she recalled the ambition she had when she first graduated, thinking that by thirty she should have a successful career and a happy family. The reality, however, was almost the opposite: her marriage was on the verge of collapse, and her job was precarious.

Sometimes life is like walking in a fog, where you can't see the road ahead and can't go back to where you started.

Just then, her landline rang.

"Hello, I am Wen Xueyan."

"I'm Mr. Cheng's secretary, Qiao Lanyue. You can call me Joyce." The woman's voice on the other end of the phone spoke quickly but clearly.

Welcome all readers, teachers, and darlings to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.

I love watching it.

Write more, please.

It looks great, I'm really looking forward to it.

I hate men who cheat and lie all the time!

Same here, haha, I hope we get a divorce soon.

The mistress and the scumbag boyfriend's acting was so clumsy!

Beautiful! Beautiful!

I can't get enough of it. More updates, please. Looking forward to it.

Cheng has been secretly watching the female lead all along, hasn't he?